Management of hypertension among Haitian immigrants: Using a cultural competency tool to improve practice

Background: The number of Haitian immigrants living in the United States has significantly increased as a result of the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti on January 12, 2010. Hypertension is one of the most significant health concerns among Haitian immigrants, which is one of the fastest growing ethnic groups. A clear understanding of the issues that impact the health practices, beliefs, and attitudes of the Haitianpopulation is essential for positive healthcare outcomes. Purpose: The purpose of this quality improvement project was to improve healthcare practitioners\u27 standard of practice when providing culturally congruent care to Haitian immigrants at a small community clinic in Southern Florida: as evidenced by implementing a pre- and post- educational training cultural competency tool among healthcare professionals. Theoretical Framework: Leininger\u27s theory of culture care diversity and universality Methods: A quantitative descriptive design was used. Healthcare practitioners were given a pretest to assess their knowledge and perceptions ofculturally congruent care using the Inventory fbr Assessing the Process of Cultural Competence Among Healthcare Professionals-Revised (IAPCC-R) tool. A training session was presented, and a posttest was given using the same tool. Frequencies, percentages and paired-l tests were used to analyze the data. Results: The participants learned that Haitian immigrants have a unique culture in regard to the health beliefs, values, attitudes, and practices governing treatment adherence. Conclusion: Healthcare practitioners\u27 standard of practice was improved when providing culturally congruent care to Haitian immigrants. The outcomes from the pre and post cultural competence tool reflected on the ability of practitioners to engage patients, reduce health disparities, and improve health care outcomes among this ethnic group